Kopu was raised in Opotiki, Kopu was the seventh in a family of twenty children.
20 Facts About Alamein Kopu
1.
2.
Alamein Kopu's family was not wealthy, and Kopu characterised her youth as containing "much hardship".
3.
Alamein Kopu continued this line of work after arriving back in New Zealand in 1986, working with Betty Wark at the Aroha Society.
4.
Alamein Kopu had considerable involvement in rehabilitation programmes for criminals acting as house parents for long term prison inmates after their release.
5.
Alamein Kopu quickly joined Mana Motuhake, a political party based around promoting Maori interests and welfare.
6.
When Mana Motuhake joined with several other groups to establish the Alliance, Alamein Kopu became involved in the new organisation.
7.
Alamein Kopu had been unemployed for nearly two decades prior to her lucrative election as an MP.
8.
Alamein Kopu was seen as having been elected in a 'backdoor' manner; Mana Mohutake leader Sandra Lee had threatened to resign if the Alliance did not include Kopu in a high place on the party list.
9.
Alamein Kopu claimed her disengagement was a perception that she was being left out of Alliance decision making.
10.
Alamein Kopu resented the criticism, and voiced the possibility of leaving the Alliance.
11.
Party leader Jim Anderton and party president Matt McCarten sought a meeting to address Alamein Kopu's concerns, wishing her to remain in the party, but just before the scheduled meeting with them Alamein Kopu gave an interview on Maori News stating she was leaving the Alliance to form her own party.
12.
Alamein Kopu blamed racist discrimination for her predicament, going as far as stating that "apartheid is alive and well in New Zealand".
13.
Alamein Kopu had, in fact, reaffirmed this pledge only a few days before she quit.
14.
The leader of the Alliance, Anderton, said that Alamein Kopu's actions "breach[ed] every standard of morality and ethics that are known".
15.
Alamein Kopu defended her decision by saying that she was only doing what was best for Maori.
16.
Henare, who had often criticised the Alliance's approach to Maori affairs, said that Alamein Kopu was welcome to join New Zealand First, although this was later rejected by other members of the party.
17.
When she launched the party in October 1997, Alamein Kopu claimed to have 6,000 members.
18.
Many of Alamein Kopu's critics claimed that the party was established primarily to ensure Alamein Kopu received more generous parliamentary funding.
19.
Alamein Kopu was married with six children and thirteen grandchildren.
20.
Alamein Kopu's husband had been long term unemployed since 1990.